Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy v. stabilisation as usual for refugees: randomised controlled...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in refugee populations.
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a first-line PTSD treatment for adults.
• Concerns exist regarding the safety and efficacy of directly targeting traumatic memories in refugees using EMDR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of EMDR therapy in adult refugees diagnosed with PTSD.
• To compare EMDR's outcomes against stabilization techniques in this population.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 72 refugees with PTSD.
• Participants received either 12 hours of EMDR or 12 hours of stabilization treatment.
• Primary outcome measures included the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in safety were found between EMDR and stabilization groups.
• Efficacy analysis showed limited effectiveness for EMDR in reducing PTSD symptoms (CAPS effect size: -0.04; HTQ effect size: 0.20).
• One severe adverse event occurred in the stabilization group only.

Conclusions:

• Directly targeting traumatic memories with 12 hours of EMDR is a safe intervention for refugee patients requiring specialized treatment.
• EMDR demonstrates limited efficacy for this population compared to stabilization techniques.
• Further research may be needed to optimize trauma-focused interventions for refugees.